12 October 2007

An online reader of my weekly column in The Philippine Star persistently questions my use of the UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino, published by the University of the Philippines and Anvil Publishing in 2001, as the authoritative source of words in Filipino. The book is admittedly not perfect, but since the University of the Philippines is internationally recognized as the leading university in the Philippines and since Anvil Publishing has been named several times as Publisher of the Year by the Manila Critics Circle, it is the best dictionary that we have so far of the Filipino language.

A more complete dictionary of Filipino, prepared by University of the Philippines professor Ernesto A. Constantino, is still in the process of publication, though an abridged version for students is available - The Contemporary English-Filipino Dictionary (published by the EAC Center for Philippine Languages in 1999).

About Me

Former Philippine Undersecretary of
Education ISAGANI R. CRUZ (Ph.D., University of Maryland) is the president of The Manila Times College
and a Governor of the National Book Development Board. He belongs to the Hall of Fame of the
Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards in Literature and is one of the 2010
Outstanding Filipinos (TOFIL). He writes
for Philippine Star, Pilipino
Mirror, and China Daily.